The latest Washington Post-ABC News poll is based on telephone interviews conducted May 16 with 761 randomly selected adults. The margin of error for the overall results is plus or minus 4 percentage points. Sampling error is, however, only one source of error in this or any other public opinion poll. Interviewing was conducted by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.

* = Less than 0.5 percent

1. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Bill Clinton is handling the situation in Kosovo?

*The United States and its European allies have said they
may bomb military targets in Serbia because it won't agree
to a peace plan for Kosovo. If Serbia does not agree to the
peace plan, should the United States participate in bombing
Serbia, or not?
**The United States has said it may bomb Serbia unless
Serbia agrees to a peace plan for Kosovo. If Serbia does not agree to the peace plan, should the United States bomb
Serbia or not?

3. (and 4) Suppose the bombing does NOT stop Serbia's military action in Kosovo. Would you support or oppose the United States and its European allies sending in ground troops to try to end the conflict in Kosovo?

*(IF SUPPORT GROUND TROOPS in q4) Would you support or
oppose sending in ground troops if there was a good chance
that some U.S. soldiers would be killed in the fighting?
**(IF SOME).. if there was a good chance that up to 100 U.S. soldiers would be killed in the fighting?
***(IF 100) up to 500?
****(IF 1,000) up to 1,000?

5. (of those who support/don't know for sending in ground troops in Q3) Should the United States and its allies send in ground troops now, or should they give more time for the air strikes to work?

Send in troops now Give more time No opin.
5/16/99 27 67 6

6. Do you think the United States and its European allies in the NATO alliance should negotiate with Serbia on terms for ending the conflict, or should they continue to require Serbia to accept NATO's terms?

7. Should the NATO allies continue bombing Serbia to keep pressure on it to withdraw from Kosovo, or should the NATO allies suspend the bombing of Serbia to encourage Serbia to withdraw?

Continue bombing Suspend bombing No opin.
5/16/99 52 44 4

8. I'm going to name some of the NATO allies' conditions for ending the conflict. For each, please tell me if you think it should be up for negotiation, or if it should be non-negotiable.

5/16/99
Up for Should be No
Negotiation non-negotiable opinion
a. Requiring Serbia to remove
almost all of its soldiers and
special police from Kosovo 37 59 4
b. Requiring Serbia to allow a
NATO-led peacekeeping force
in Kosovo 47 50 3
c. The return of all refugees
to Kosovo 42 54 4
d. A political settlement allowing
Kosovo limited self-rule as a
province of Serbia 55 37 9

9. As you may know, some civilians have been killed in the air strikes against Serbia, and recently the NATO allies bombed the Chinese consulate in Serbia's capital. Do you think that the United States and its European allies are not being careful enough to avoid civilian casualties, or do you think these are just unavoidable accidents of war?

13. Which political party, the Democrats or the Republicans, do you trust to do a better job handling the issue of gun control?

Both Neither No
Dems. Reps. (vol.) (vol.) opin.
5/16/99 39 31 3 22 5

14. Would you support or oppose a law requiring (READ ITEM). How about a law requiring (NEXT ITEM). For each: Do you feel that way strongly, or only somewhat?a. Background checks on people buying guns at gun shows